SENSORiUM Music & Arts Festival returns for its second year in Philadelphia at the Ukrainian American Citizens’ Association (The Ukie Club on Franklin) on Saturday, August 25.
SENSORiUM brings together fans of music and arts for multi-dimensional, ultra-curated events, and sensational visual and interactive art installations and was founded by Joe Vela the drummer for Tweed in honor late friend, Suman Addya who used to travel the road with Tweed.
This year there will be some of the hottest national and local acts, the city’s finest craft and food vendors, and a sensational visual and interactive artist lineup including: Tweed, Daedelus, Wax Future, MINKA, Darla, Patrick Richards, Bad Leather, CyberSerum b2b Oni, CrypticFlow, and freedomtacos b2b iLL-Omega. A second phase of performers, including headliners will be announced on July 17.
There is a limited number of early bird tickets, on sale now through July 1 for only $35 which can be purchased through Eventbrite. For more information, visit SENSORiUM Music & Arts Festival’s Facebook. For a feel of what to expect at this year’s SENSORiUM, check out the Spotify playlist below curated by the festival organizers.
The Great South Bay Music Festival is Back for it’s 12th Year at Shorefront Park in Patchogue, NY from July 12-15 with sixty-five performers on four stages over four days.
Known for being Long Island’s longest-running and largest four-day music festival, The Great South Bay Music Festival has grown considerably from it’s first outing in 2007, when they presented 20 artists over three days, and their major headliners were Richie Havens and Foghat. The Great South Bay Music Festival definitely makes a mark of it’s own in the festival world by taking into account four completely different genres with a different tactic than most festivals use.
This tactic is covering several genres by splitting up genres by days. Thursday is covering the indie scene with popular headliners the Front Bottoms, Thrice, the Get Up Kids, and Long Island’s Envy On The Coast. Friday covers the Rock-Reggae-Ska Party scene on the bay, with headliner Sublime with Rome, plus the Dirty Heads & Less Than Jake. Saturday covers a “Jam Day” vibe with headliners Umphrey’s McGee, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. Papadosio, JGB featuring Jerry Garcia Band alum Melvin Seals, Infamous Stringdusters: Andy Falco & Friends with special guests: Alwyn Robinson of Leftover Salmon, and Andrew Altman of Railroad Earth.
Sunday will consist of it’s annual Morning Children’s Concert, Great South Bay is bringing back Disney’s Imagination Movers and then the festival closes with a historic lineup, as they present guitarist, singer-songwriter, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Co-Founder of the Allman Brothers, Dickey Betts and His Band in his only New York Festival appearance. Supporting and returning for their third visit is Electric Hot Tuna, plus the legendary Little Feat, and the Devon Allman Project, featuring Duane Betts.
The fest features three different craft beer tents, a wine garden, an artisan and craft market, and food court offering a diverse gourmet menu. Ticket price includes all concerts and entertainment. Food & beverages not included. Children ten and under are free, except for the Imagination Movers concert. For a full schedule and other info visit The Great South Bay Music Festival’s website.
Drawing of The Great South Bay Music Festival courtesy of their website.
Festival Door times:
Thursday, July 12 – Doors are at 3:00 p.m., till 10:00 p.m.
Friday, July 13 – Doors are at 3:00 p.m., till 11pm,
Saturday the 14 – Doors are at 1:00 p.m, till 11PM,
Sunday the 15 – 11:00 a.m. doors for Imagination Movers Kids Concert
Sunday Regular Fest Ticket holders – 1:30 p.m. Doors till 10:00 p.m.
The 2018 American Music Festival for the Lake returns to Lake George at Charles Wood Park June 30 and July 1 after being absent for a year. This year will feature a mainstream country headliner and an artist who shows a progressive viewpoint on America today.
Amy Helm
Jamie Lee Thurston will be performing on Saturday and is known for being “Nashville-by-way-of-Vermont.” He has perfected the roles of being an entertainer, a vocalist, an instrumentalist, and a producer all at the same time which isn’t often seen in the music industry. Thurston has shared stages with country music’s biggest acts, such as the Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, the Dixie Chicks, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Billy Currington and Charlie Daniels. Joining him on Saturday will be award-winning rockabilly partymakers the Lustre Kings and rising 518 star Vinny Michaels and his solid backing band.
Amy Helm and her Handsome Strangers band will be performing on Sunday. She is known for being a lifelong musician and music-lover. The Band is known for its legendary drummer and singer Levon Helm and singer/songwriter Libby Titus which are both known for guiding Helm’s training and influences. Helm has currently taken over the role of tribal chief of the Woodstock area’s musicians’ network which was previously a role her father filled. In the process, she has established herself as a major national act in her own right. Joining her on Sunday will be Boston-based twangster’s Girls Guns & Glory (which have been compared to Chris Isaak) and a reunion show by 518 jam band pioneers Raisinhead.
Gates Open for both shows at Noon, with the music starting at 1:00 p.m. Headliners are due on stage at approximately 4:00 p.m.. Food and beverage service will be available, as well as a playground and skate park for the kids. All for free, as is the Million Dollar Beach right across the road. Attendees are also encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for best seating in the grassy, open-air field.
The annual four day Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance has been alive and kicking in Trumansburg since 1991. It’s known for its for it’s multi-stage, multi-genre, multi-day fun but now it’s also getting known for its addition of the Grassroots Culture Camp which takes place July 15-18, the four days before the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance.
Culture Camp photo courtesy of the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance website.
The point of the Culture Camp is for participants to be able to Immerse themselves for four straight days of instrument, dance and movement workshops, with themed nightly dinners & dances include. The Culture Camp is a unique way for amateurs and professionals to connect and learn from each other. From those just picking up a fiddle for the first time, to those who are knowledgeable on an Irish fiddle, there is instruction for all. Most of the workshops are taught by performers at the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance.
And at the end of the long day of instruction there are new workshops included just this year called the, “Old Time Jam” and the “Cajun jam” which is basically a time when after a long day of workshops and before the nightly dinner where everyone can get together and jam. It’s open to all levels and everyone is encouraged to grab their instruments, join in and experience playing old time tunes in a group.
There are workshops in: fiddle, banjo, bass, guitar, banjo uke, mandolin, old time jam, pedal steel, accordion, accordion and fiddle, Cajun double fiddling, Cajun Jam, Triangle, Scoreboard, Afro-Carribean hand drumming and song, Bodhran, Cajun drums and bass, origins of country drumming, improvisation, adult singing, singsong for children, Cajun song, country songs old and new, country harmony singing, songwriting, Native American, Cuban Son music, accompanying oneself on piano, one mic: hip hop and the power of voice, workshop for social change, “On the road again” (Learning the business side of getting your band out there), Dance, Yoga, Tai Chi, acrylic painting, youth square dance, and youth percussion.
Full instructor bios can be found here for each work shop. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance website. There is also an option to volunteer at the Culture Camp and in doing so acquiring admission free in exchange for working one three hour shift for each day you would like to attend the camp. Camping at the Culture Camp is also available for purchase.
Rockin’ on the River in Troy hosted Albany’s Wurliday on June 20 for some lively funk and soul, with guest vocals by Tyrone Hartzog and Ilana Morris, and led by Justin Henricks on guitar. Super Doppler followed with their brand of country rock and roll from Norfolk, VA, who perform later this year at The Sloss Music Festival in Birmingham, AL.
JAZZ IS PHSH is in the middle of their Northeast tour across New York, with stops in New Hampshire and Boston, bringing with them an incredible lineup of musicians who explore the music of Phish with a focus on improvisation of the group’s many compositions. Adam Chase, co-founder of the JAZZ IS PHSH ensemble, is introducing broader audiences to not only the music of Phish from musicians who did not come up in the jam world, but to also introduce Phish fans to musicians that may or may not have been on their radar.
The current tour includes familiar faces in the jam scene such as Rob Compa of Dopapod, a Berklee School of Music graduate who has been performing recently with Mike Gantzer of Aqueous, where you can hear Compa’s jazz influences come out from a smooth sounding acoustic duo. A trio of horns features trombonist Alicia Aubin of Big Mean Sound Machine and Ithaca College alumni who has performed across the country with the high-energy funk band, and as far away as China and Russia. Rounding out the horns section are Carl “Geerz” Gerhard and Dave “The Truth” Grippo of Phish’s Giant Country horns, the latter two of which performed with Phish numerous times in the early 90’s. Grippo continues to perform with Grippo Funk Band in the Burlington area and has toured with Trey Anastasio Band on numerous occasions.
Familiarity with these players will make jam fans feel at home, while Felix Pastorius and Domi Degalle will add in fresh jazz takes on the music of Phish. Son of Jaco, Felix Pastorius walks in his father’s footsteps as a bass guitarist, who at the age of 19 was recommended by Victor Wooten to fill the bass chair in Jeff Coffin’s Mu’tet. He won a Grammy with jazz mainstay The Yellowjackets, and now based in New York City, has started his own projects, including an incredible jazz fusion group The Hipster Assassins. Domi is a teenage musical prodigy and was brought up in a musical family in France and began playing music at age 2, entered Conservatory at age 5 to study classical and jazz. She is now studying on a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music and has performed with the likes of Thundercat, David Gilmour, Ghost-Note, MonoNeon,Louis Cole & More. Both musicians are well known in jazz circles and join the band for a different angle on the music of Phish, a twist on your everyday troupe.
The group will perform this month in Albany at The Egg on June 27, at Buffalo Iron Works on June 28, and ANTHOLOGY in Rochester on June 29. They recently stopped at Brooklyn Bowl to perform with Strange Machines on June 16. Check out a photo gallery over at Relix. Adam Chase, who also plays drums in JAZZ IS PHSH spoke to NYS Music about the upcoming shows and how their interpretations of Phish’s music stands apart from others.
Pete Mason: How did you assemble this tour’s lineup for Jazz is Phish?
Adam Chase: I really like combining musicians from a variety of backgrounds on each show, whether it’s older and younger musicians, male and female, black and white, etc. And for this project the musical backgrounds being diverse is very important, regardless of gender or ethnicity.
Having a combination of musicians that are familiar with the music and musicians that never listened to Phish before I introduced them to it is the best recipe for really doing justice to the compositions while pushing the boundaries of what the tunes can sound like.
For this run I am particularly excited about having the teenage piano prodigy, DOMi, on the road with us. Having grown up in France and having her exposure to music in America be through jazz and classical professors at Berklee School of Music and through her collaborations with Thunder Cat, Knower, and Ghost Note, her lack of knowledge of Phish has been really fun for me. She is so talented that she can take the sheet music I give her and not only play the complex compositions with ease, but is also able to expand the ideas and improvise in a way that I’ve never heard within the framework of a Phish song.
Being able to pair her talents with Felix Pastorius is very exciting for me as well. As many people know, Felix is the son of Jaco Pastorius, which carries a fair amount of weight for the level of talent one would expect, but what a lot of people don’t know is that Felix himself is one of the best bassists around and he has his own voice on his instrument. His knowledge of music and his approach to playing bass is mind bending and he is one of my favorite musicians to play with.
In addition we have Rob Compa of Dopapod who is great guitarist and amazing human being, Alicia Aubin from Big Mean Sound Machine who will be making her debut with us and Dave Grippo of The Giant Country Horns. It’s always fun for me to play music with guys like Carl Gerhard and Dave Grippo, because growing up in the 90s as a Phish head, I had a ton of cassette tapes of those guys playing with Phish. They are quintessential figures in the Phish experience.
PM: What makes the interpretations of Phish’s music done by JAZZ IS PHSH different from those of other Phish tributes?
AC: There are lots of Phish cover bands. I don’t consider this to be a Phish cover band, though it is absolutely a Phish tribute. I may be splitting hair with terminology, but when I think of a Phish cover band, I think of a band trying to play Phish songs like Phish did in attempt to recreate the experience of seeing Phish (or as close to that as they can get). With Jazz Is Phsh our goal is to create a unique experience, where the music is a vehicle for incredible musicians to put their own identity into the music. Not just from an improvisational perspective but also from a compositional perspective.
Every song that we have done arrangements for have happened in a group setting with musicians that range from Chris Bullock of Snarky Puppy and Kofi Burbridge of Tedeschi Trucks Band, but also Michael Ray of Sun Ra Arkestra and Anthony Wellington of Victor Wooten Band. With each arrangement, we have not only reharmonizes the vocal melodies to fit into a horn section but for many songs we have composed original parts, reworked existing parts and even mashed up Phish songs with jazz songs and in some cases even jazz influenced hip hop.
A recent mashup we did took the popular Phish cover “Yamar” (which is actually an old calypso song) and mashed it up with the Q Tip song “ManWomanBoogie”. What makes this mashup so cool is that the Q Tip song was a variation of a sample of a Wayne Shorter jazz piece. What makes this so relevant to me is that jazz is often trapped in a box and held to just being swing music or a sound associated with the legends of the origins of jazz. But jazz is much more than that. Just follow the career of Herbie Hancock and you will see how jazz has evolved into funk, hip hop and so much more. The idea of jam music to me is the intersection of jazz and rock and roll. So to be able to explore the brilliant music of Phish in this way is what jazz is all about.
PM: Is there an era of Phish that lines up with the sound of Jazz is Phish more than any other?
AC: I think what we are doing is very unique and different so it would be hard to say if it lines up with any particular era of Phish. I do however enjoy turning on musicians to some of the early compositions of Phish as the complexity of the arrangements are very “Zappa-esque” and provide a challenge and in some cases an explanation of what a musician would find so charming about Phish’s music. But really there are Phish songs throughout their career that lend themselves so well to a horn driven, instrumental, funky jazzy setting.
PM: This is your first time in Albany, and you’re playing in The Swyer Theater at The Egg – what can fans expect from a show in this intimate venue?
AC: We are particularly excited to play this beautiful room. It’s always special when playing this type of music, to be in a room with great sound and a great feel. It really opens up the dynamics of the music and the creativity the musicians feel. I find that shows in rooms like this, feel like they have room to breathe, which is very exciting. I am looking forward to really giving each musician an opportunity to showcase their talents while also exploring the music collectively in a way that will really connect everyone in the audience with everyone on stage. When everyone on stage and the audience are all listening wholeheartedly and in the moment, magic can be made.
It is nothing but awe inspiring seeing Paramore go from performing on a tiny pink bus on the Shiragirl side stage on Warped Tour in 2005, to seeing lead vocalist Hayley Williams having pink hair and wearing a pink jacket, performing in front of thousands of fans at the Lakeview Amphitheater on June 17 who were still into you.
Kicking off the show with “Grudges,” Williams couldn’t help but have a huge smile on her face as she sang. Williams kept her performance fun, kicking her stylish yellow boots in the air, yet still letting her raw emotions shine through as she knelt to get closer to their fans.
Williams dedicated their hit “Still Into You” to Paramore, which was a cheeky nod to all the trials and tribulations that the band has dealt with throughout its career.
Halfway through Paramore’s set, the band took a quick break to allow their crew to set up the stage for an acoustic mini set. They came back out to perform a cover of “Passionfruit,” “Misguided Ghosts” and “26.” This was a very intimate and personal portion of the set with Williams sharing some insight on how she felt now as opposed to when she initially wrote “Misguided Ghosts” and even teased about the audience giving her a therapy session.
Dialing the energy back up with “Caught In The Middle,” the band continued to give their all for their fans. Another highlight was when Williams picked three fans named Jessy, Cameron and Danielle to come onto the stage and help the band finish “Misery Business.”
After seeing Paramore’s performance, it is safe to say that their fans will forever “still be into you.”
Setlist: Grudges, Still Into You, Rose-Colored Boy, That’s What You Get, Crushcrushcrush, Fake Happy, Playing God, Forgiveness, Ignorance, Pool, Passionfruit (Drake cover), Misguided Ghosts, 26, Caught in the Middle, Idle Worship, No Friend, Misery Business, Ain’t It Fun, Told You So, All That Love Is, Hard Times
Sunday, June 17, was Albany’s annual DadFest held in Washington Park. This year’s event featured a custom and classic car show by Capital Car Shows, with cars parked all around the concert field. DadFest also featured food and art vendors, along with Sly Fox and the Hustlers, Hartley’s Encore and Grand Central Station. A very hot day in the park with great music introduced by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan also had activities such as free rock climbing wall and a bounce house and other activities for the kids.
Trumpeter Augie Haas has released “Have You Met Miss Jones,” the second single from his forthcoming album Have We Met, due to be released on July 20. Augie is one of the most in-demand trumpet players in New York, having worked with artists such as Harry Connick, Jr., The Maria Schneider Orchestra and The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and is currently a regular member of the orchestra for Aladdin on Broadway.
Augie says of the album, “I am excited, not just for the new single ‘Have You Met Miss Jones,’ but for the entire record. With time moving faster than ever, we wanted to create music that encourages people to pour a cocktail, close their eyes, and forget about life’s troubles. I’m Augie Haas; have we met?”
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Augie earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of the Performing Arts. After Chicago, he attended The University of Miami’s Frost School of Music Conservatory for a Masters in Studio Music in Jazz and a Doctorate in Musical Arts.
Augie has released four albums under his co-founded label Playtime Music: The Llama, Doing it Augie Style, Baby Jazz, and his latest album Endless, featuring all original compositions. Most recently he published his first book entitled Build Your Range.
Upcoming shows: July 19 @ Birdland | New York NY
August 8 @ Wynwood Yard | Miami, FL
August 10 @ Jazz Estate | Milwaukee, WI
Brooklyn Comes Alive recently announced its return on September 29 to Brooklyn’s beloved Williamsburg neighborhood for its fourth annual music marathon takeover at Brooklyn Bowl, Music Hall of Williamsburg, and the latest addition, Rough Trade. But now the lineup has also been released and contains many notable acts such as George Porter Jr. and Cory Henry.
Courtesy of Brooklyn Comes Alive press release.
An all-star cast of musicians including GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient George Porter Jr. (The Meters) will be performing and giving tributes to the greats we’ve lost, including Brandon “Taz” Niederauer who will honor his former mentors during the set, Adam Smirnoff (Lettuce), Jeff Sipe who founded Aquarium Rescue Unit with Col. Bruce Hampton, Peter Levin (Gregg Allman Band) and Elise Testone (American Idol, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Band).
Cory Henry (formerly of Snarky Puppy, Funk Apostles) will be joined for his debut performance at the festival by Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power), Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, WOLF!), MonoNeon (Prince, Ghost Note) and Skerik who are all Brooklyn Comes Alive veterans which will make for one unforgettable quintet.
And it’s not just musicians performing at Brooklyn Comes Alive, it’s also made up of comedians from Wokes With Jokes: Stand-Up Comedy About The Jamband Scene, which emerged in 2017 during Phish’s New Years run. The full lineup is listed below.
Courtesy of Brooklyn Comes Alive press release
FULL LIST OF ARTISTS AT BCA 2018:
George Porter Jr. (The Meters)
Cory Henry (Snarky Puppy)
Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits)
Adam Deitch (Lettuce)
Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, WOLF!)
Robert Walter (Greyboy All-Stars, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress, Mike Gordon)
Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power)
Skerik (Garage A Trois)
Jeff Sipe (Aquarium Rescue Unit)
Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff (Lettuce)
Borahm Lee (Break Science)
Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce)
Robert “Sput” Searight (Snarky Puppy, Ghost Note)
Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce)
Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz)
Nigel Hall (Lettuce)
Shira Elias (Turkuaz)
Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy)
Nick Cassarino (The Nth Power)
Erick “Jesus” Coomes (Lettuce)
Wil Blades
Joey Porter (The Motet)
Todd Stoops (RAQ, Electric Beethoven)
Brandon “Taz” Niederauer
Johnny Vidacovich
Lyle Divinsky (The Motet)
Karina Rykman (Marco Benevento Band)
Rob Compa (Dopapod)
James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band)
Dave Watts (The Motet)
Alvin Ford Jr. (Pretty Lights Live Band, Dumpstaphunk)
Eli Winderman (Dopapod)
Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu)
Peter Levin (Gregg Allman Band)
Nate Edgar (The Nth Power)
Khris Royal (Rebelution)
Steve Swatkins (Allen Stone)
Ryan Jalbert (The Motet)
Dave Harrington (Darkside, Dave Harrington’s Merry Pranksters)
Sammi Garett (Turkuaz)
Chuck Jones (Dopapod)
Mike “Maz” Maher (Snarky Puppy)
Hayley Jane (Hayley Jane & The Primates)
Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy)
Casey Russell (The Magic Beans)
Tyler Coomes
Adam November (Karina Rykman Experiment)
Megan Letts (Mama Magnolia)
Chris Corsico (Karina Rykman Experiment)
Joel Gonzaléz
Aron Magner (The Disco Biscuits)
COMEDIANS AT BCA 2018:
Brett Siddell (SiriusXM, Wokes With Jokes)
Walker Berry (Wokes With Jokes)
Ariella Wallen (Wokes With Jokes)
Pamela Mahler (Wokes With Jokes)
Richie Alfson (Wokes With Jokes)
For more information please visit Brooklyn Comes Alive’s website.
Halfway through Paramore’s set, the band took a quick break to allow their crew to set up the stage for an acoustic mini set. They came back out to perform a cover of “Passionfruit,” “Misguided Ghosts” and “26.” This was a very intimate and personal portion of the set with Williams sharing some insight on how she felt now as opposed to when she initially wrote “Misguided Ghosts” and even teased about the audience giving her a therapy session.
